Format Photographers launched in 1983. It was, uniquely, an agency run by women photographers, for women photographers. It closed in 2003.

“From its beginning, the Format ethos and working practice were based on three key principles. The agency aimed to encourage its members to develop their creativity and careers, while remaining sensitive to the context in which their images were used and distributed. It portrayed people and issues that were under-represented in the mainstream media of the time. By photographing women and men in non-traditional roles, its members aimed to break down gender stereotypes, and changed the way women and other marginalised groups were seen”.